Last night, John Oliver also spent a good deal of time talking about the Brexit and UKIP:
If it was not abundantly clear, the white nationalist strain of UKIP should seem very familiar to you, as it is basically the British version of the Trumpanistas, right down to his opinion on the Brexit:
Donald Trump reiterated his support for the U.K. to leave the European Union days before Brits vote in the EU referendum on June 23.
“I would personally be more inclined to leave, for a lot of reasons like having a lot less bureaucracy,” Trump told the Sunday Times. “But I am not a British citizen. This is just my opinion.”
Because of course you do, Donald. You’re a fucking idiot. There’s a great piece on NBC right now about who exactly the Trump supporter is, and it is well worth your time (lots of graphs and fun stuff):
A year after Donald Trump launched his presidential bid, and against all expectations, the business mogul is the presumptive GOP nominee. Who supported him? How did he take over a Republican Party whose leaders almost uniformly opposed him? And will the GOP ever be the same? NBC News crunched polling and election data and conducted dozens of interviews with supporters, critics and party leaders of all stripes for a series of stories explaining the phenomenon that defined 2016. In chapter one, we look at Trump’s voters: Where they live, what they want, and how their deep unease with a changing America fueled a political revolution.
Long story short, the Trump supporter is white, ethnocentric, afraid of immigration and immigrants, less educated (his highest support is among those without a HS diploma), worried about the future, and not earning what they used to and have not had any of the gains from the economy. This graph stuck out:
Basically, if we were in England, Trump would be a more vulgar Nigel Farage.
Major Major Major Major
Organizations with acronyms! LOL.
Yes, I only watched one part in the middle at random.
cmorenc
The song at the end of John Oliver’s Brexit piece was priceless (starts about 13:55 into the embedded clip above). The basic message of the song was We Brits need the EU, but all the countries in Europe suck so fuck you all anyway. Lead singer was a young boy – in a way, the role reminded me somewhat of the girl in the priceless “Wake the fuck up” political ad in 2012 with Samuel Jackson.
schrodinger's cat
I have said this once and I will say this again. Xenophobia and racism are the twin rationales behind Trump’s candidacy.
Calouste
And right on time:
Vote Leave board member quits over anti-Muslim retweets
“Vote Leave” is the organization that is campaigning for Britain leaving the EU.
Momentary
Correction from the UK: Trump is Boris Johnson. Cruz is Nigel Farage.
rikyrah
isn’t this what folks like me have been saying all along?
They wanna party like it’s 1948.
and, we all know EXACTLY what they mean when they say ‘ Make America Great Again’
Come on, now.
We know it.
And, as I’ve said before, I don’t have the luxury to not take Trump at his word, because his WORDS are why he won the GOP Nomination.
He was not coronated. He went out and stabbed right into the vein of the GOP voter base.
THEY chose him.
He speaks for THEM.
Which is why it somewhat amuses me to see clowns like Halperin and others pretend that folks like me didn’t hear what we heard on the campaign trail, and if he would just begin talking in dogwhistles, all would be well in the world.
Phuck.outta.here.
satby
OT, sorry but need to tell somebody. This just happened. Yeah, that’s my house under there.
schrodinger's cat
@Momentary: Is Boris Johnson in any contention to succeed Cameron? If not, we can’t really compare him to Trump.
dr. bloor
@satby: Holy hell. Everyone OK?
the Conster, la Citoyenne
The easiest way to determine if someone is a Trump supporter? Ask them if they think Obama’s a Muslim. Evidence provided, with charts and everything. That one question reveals a festering boil of ignorance, racism and toxic male Xtianity, and it has zero to do with economic status or level of education.
Major Major Major Major
@satby: Yikes, hope everyone’s safe. Worst thing that happened to me today was running out of coffee.
Gindy51
@satby: Oh my, that’s one big tree I hope there wasn’t too much damage.
hedgehog mobile
@satby: Gah!You OK?
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@satby:
Ho Lee Shit! Glad you’re OK, or you wouldn’t be here to share!
p.a.
@schrodinger’s cat: I agree, but…
the anger and hate is misdirected, but not baseless. Are there Dem pols, national, state, or local, who can refocus the anger to legit targets? What % of these people are reachable? (I’m not hopeful, but if some can be turned the rest could be buried electorally for a generation.)
Gin & Tonic
@satby: Look at the bright side – that’s a maple, so you’ve got some good firewood for the winter.
Mnemosyne
@satby:
Holy shit! I hope everybody’s okay. Was it WaterGirl who had the same thing happen to her a few years ago? Whoever it was will probably have some good advice.
Momentary
@schrodinger’s cat: yes, he absolutely is. In fact his support for Brexit is largely presumed to be a strategy for a coup against Cameron. If Brexit succeeds Cameron is expected to resign or be pushed.
Dee Loralei
@satby: yikes. Didn’t this just happen to one of your sons too? I’m thinking the forest sure doesn’t seem to like your family much. Hope the damage was minimal and everyone and your pets are ok.
TriassicSands
But Donald has fired his campaign manager. Because, as we’ve all learned from the cliche, Trump can never fail, he can only be failed by others.
It’s become a cliche for Republicans in general, but Chump needs it more than anyone else ever has.
SRW1
@schrodinger’s cat:
The main reason Johnson is in the Brexit camp is because he sees a defeat of Cameron as his ticket to No 10.
schrodinger's cat
@p.a.: Voting for Trump is not going to make their economic condition better.
Iowa Old Lady
@satby: Holy crap.
Re Brexit, Trump is heading for the UK at the end of this week. I await Romney level gaffs.
Calouste
@Momentary: And Sanders is not Jeremy Corbyn, he is George Galloway.
schrodinger's cat
@Momentary: @SRW1: I don’t know much about Johnson, other the fact that he seems like a buffoon. What about the Tories in the Parliament, where do they come down on this issue, with Cameron, or against?
satby
@dr. bloor: yeah. I had just gotten home so was still in the car waiting for the microbursts to slow down. Tree was upright when I pulled in, came down a minute later.
JPL
@satby: Oh no! I’m so sorry, I know you were hoping to sell your house soon.
Jado
This continually makes me sick. Trump supporters are usually white male lower educated and not making what they used to. You mean when they were members of strong unions? Back before they betrayed everything the Democrats worked for in cultivating and working with unions to make a respectable living for labor in this country? Before they threw it all away because the GOP promised that they would keep “those” people in their place?
You guys had it all in your fathers time, and you tossed it away because you didn’t want to be considered the same as your minority union brothers. I hope you all choke on the racism you consider more important than financial security for your family, because the GOP corporate masters aren’t bringing those jobs back. Ever.
You racist idiots.
smith
@satby: How awful. You must be in shock. I hope you have lots of loving support nearby.
Momentary
@Calouste: Agreed! I’m not sure who would be Jeremy Corbyn, any thoughts?
satby
The dogs and cats are fine. The dogs were a bit freaked, the cats never even noticed.
Tenar Darell
@satby: OMG WTH?! I hope everyone is okay.
rikyrah
@satby:
OH MY!!
Glad to hear you all are ok.
Major Major Major Major
@schrodinger’s cat: It’s my understanding that pretty much the whole “Establishment” is Remain.
Calouste
@Iowa Old Lady: If Trump only manages to make Romney-level gaffs, the trip should be considered a success. I expect a lot worse, open muslimphobia among other things.
Russ
It is probable that most of Trump supporters don’t realize they have to be registered to vote, vote on election day and know when election day is. Those without a high school diploma tend to not vote anyways, so there is that also.
Droopy
This is the result of 30 years of Reagan Revolution – eviscerate educational institutions, leave unskilled workers with nothing to do but work at Wal-Mart, and you end up with a permanent ignorant underclass. These are the people who should be voting for the most liberal candidates, but of course they’ve been screwed their whole lives and have been told by radio bloviators that it’s the fault of “them.” Democrats have a lot of work to do to counter all this.
schrodinger's cat
@satby: {{{ }}} were you at home when it happened? Hopefully the damage is not too bad.
Momentary
@schrodinger’s cat: Brexit is a Tory civil war, which would be fun to watch for those of us who are vehemently anti-Tory, if the stakes were not so high. It’s a bit like the division between the arch-capitalists and the religious fundamentalists in the Republican party. Cameron gambled that he could safely settle the issue with the referendum and get the Europhobes off his back, which has turned out to be a really stupid gamble.
NotMax
@satby
Worst gardening picture ever.
Seriously, hoping damage is minimal and things get sorted out ASAP.
Emma
@satby: Holy crap. Are you ok?
SRW1
@schrodinger’s cat:
Parliamentary Tories are split in the middle, but there is an angry Brexit faction that is growling about wanting Cameron’s head even if Remain wins. Unlikely if Remain wins, but the Tories are gonna have a bit of a problem ‘healing’ the party.
a hip hop artist from Idaho (fka Bella Q)
@satby: NO… Are you and all critters okay?
The trees are coming for all your houses.
satby
Yes, this happened in February to the garage of my old house, which was flattened. Doesn’t seem to be any obvious holes in the roof, but won’t really know until we get the tree removed. There’s trees down all over, some blocking roads. And of course the power is out, a pine across the street was completely uprooted and fell across the lines.
NotMax
@Iowa Old Lady
The Irish are prepared.
Poopyman
@satby: Well ,the “good” news is that it appears not to have sliced through the house. Is everything still watertight?
The bad news is now you’re going to have to pay someone to take the other half down. But then, that’s what homeowner’s insurance is for.
Iowa Old Lady
@Mnemosyne: Hey, Mnem, Mr IOL still subscribes to the Rolling Stone, and LMM is on the cover of the current issue.
Major Major Major Major
OT: Cornyn just called bombs like the Tsarnaev’s used “weapons of mass destruction”.
Poopyman
@Major Major Major Major: Well, he didn’t make that up.
Thank the FBI.
Major Major Major Major
@Poopyman: Well that’s stupid.
patroclus
That closing song had me laughing hysterically last night!! And it perfectly encapsulates the opinions of my British cousins with whom I e-mail frequently. They can not STAND the EU, but are probably going to vote for STAY on Thursday. They’re Conservatives and love them some BoJo, but they sort of kind of agree that they would be batshit crazy to leave, and they understand why we Americans want them to stay. If they start a massive trade war and tank the markets, they’ll never hear the end of it from me.
Mnemosyne
@Iowa Old Lady:
You act like I didn’t run out and buy a copy as soon as it hit the newsstand. Do you even know me?
;-)
Major Major Major Major
Cornyn just noticed that the no-fly list is unconstitutional. Good for him.
aimai
@satby: OMG, I hope you are ok! We have a tree like that near us. I’ve beenw anting to take it down for years but need so much permission from neighbors that it hasn’t been possible to arrange. But if it goes down, it will go down like that.
eclare
@rikyrah: Totally agree, wish your megaphone was bigger. Was texting with a friend of mine of Indian descent in Dallas about the level of racism that has been exposed. He said he now wonders about his daily interactions. Note, I am a middle aged white lady, and I find it scary, especially with all of the guns around.
maya
@satby: I hope it looks worse than it is, damage wise. Looks just like a friend of mine’s house after hurricane Sandy in Jersey 2013, or 14. They had minimal damage from a big fir that snapped just like your tree.
Poopyman
@Major Major Major Major: Yes. Yes it is. I’m not sure that the good they do much outweighs the bad, although TBH, the ratio is probably a lot better now than in Hoover’s salad days.
Mnemosyne
@Poopyman:
IIRC, the Bushies changed that post-9/11 so they could claim that Saddam had “weapons of mass destruction” (which had previously meant nukes) when he only had regular bombs.
eclare
@satby: Wha?????
Poopyman
@Major Major Major Major: Well that’s interesting! I wonder what political/financial calculus brought him to this point?
hovercraft
@schrodinger’s cat:
If Brexit vote is yes, then he is line to succeed Cameron who would have to resign.
? Martin
@Major Major Major Major:
Wonder what made him suddenly take notice after 14 years?
Poopyman
@Poopyman: And in Hoover’s day, salad was for tossing, it should go without saying.
Major Major Major Major
@Poopyman: @? Martin: I couldn’t even begin to imagine. And you know, it’s funny, but he didn’t reference any legislation he has in the hopper to get rid of the damn thing.
Mnemosyne
@Major Major Major Major:
Great, maybe now he’ll vote to reform it.
Man, I crack myself up sometimes.
maya
@patroclus: Yup. No more lend lease and pre DDay invasions of US troops with jingle in their pockets.
On the other hand, after that NBC diagnosis, Trump now has a golden opportunity to really connect with his con-stituancy: “A GED on every out house wall”.
catclub
@Momentary:
Isn’t it a little early for deciding this?
Major Major Major Major
@catclub: The fact that it’s even close…
Momentary
@catclub: well I meant a stupid gamble for Cameron personally, and that seems likely to be the case regardless of which way the vote goes on Thursday.
catclub
@Major Major Major Major: Some people really distrust pressure cookers.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Droopy:
How could Democrats ever make someone stop being a racist? These angry whites want their country back from the very people that they see the Democrats representing. As a white person, and a Democrat, our work is to point out racism in our friends and family members. I’ve started doing that, and guess what? It sucks! But, something happens when you say the word “racist”. There’s a power in naming something truthfully. It’s white people work.
catclub
@Momentary: Should he have refused to even schedule a referendum? That seems like a different gamble.
Kathleen
@satby: Oh, satby! Are you OK? Good grief!
Iowa Old Lady
@Mnemosyne: True! What was I thinking?
Brachiator
This is the canary in the coal mine for everyone.
A stagnant economy affects everyone.
And the situation in the UK is not as equivalent as some might think. It is hard to be OK for Scottish nationalism, and then say that the UK should stick to the EU. And there is growing support in Northern Ireland for Brexit. Funny thing, when you start talking about nationalism and devolution, you cannot keep it bottled up or blame racism.
hovercraft
@catclub:
It was an election promise he made to peel off votes from UKIP and to push up turnout for the tories. He assumed it was a no brainer and would not be close.
Major Major Major Major
Toomey is upset that the watch list doesn’t have due process.
The Fat Kate Middleton
@satby: Yeah, that sucks. We’ve spent the last three days cleaning up a similar mess at our place in northern Iowa – at least four big trees down, but none on our house, thank FSM.
Mingobat f/k/a Karen in GA
@satby: Aagghh! I hope you’re okay!
Amir Khalid
@srv:
I did not need the mental image of Donald Trump wearing a tall beehive hairdo.
I hates you now.
pseudonymous in nc
@catclub:
The behind-the-scenes suggestion is that Cameron didn’t expect a working majority, so the referendum would shore up the right wing but also be traded away in negotiations with the Lib Dems. Instead, the Lib Dems cratered and he got his poison chalice. Cameron’s a perennial student who swans about during the week then scrambles to get his essay finished on time. He deserves the boot for how he’s handled this even if Remain scrape out a win.
Frankensteinbeck
For everyone bringing up Trump supporters being angry about economic issues: Read @the Conster, la Citoyenne‘s link. When the statistical analysis is done, it’s not economic factors. It’s just racism.
SuperHrefna
@satby: oh no! I’m so glad you are ok, here’s hoping the tree don’t break anything expensive to fix.
Amir Khalid
@satby:
Yikes. Glad to hear everyone, on four legs and two, is okay. I hope the repair bills are survivable.
Brachiator
@satby:
Wow. Hope everything is OK. Good luck with the tree removal project.
Calouste
@Brachiator:
That’s exactly the standpoint of the Scottish Nationalists though. They want out of the UK, but in the EU. In fact, the SNP has mentioned that in case of the UK leaving the EU, they would want to run another Scottish independence referendum with the explicit premise of Scotland returning to the EU.
rikyrah
@Frankensteinbeck:
Wasn’t the Average income for a Trump supporter $71,000???
$71,000 and that is economic insecurity?
Phuck.outta.here
Brachiator
@Frankensteinbeck:
The insistence that “Trump voters are bad people” does not, by itself, win more votes for the Democrats.
satby
@aimai: it’s heartbreaking because it’s an old growth sugar maple. Beautiful in the fall. It’s twin is across the driveway and I always expected that one to come down first.
satby
Thanks everyone. We’re all fine, all the neighbors too. Just waiting for the power to come back on because it’s 90 out.
Mnemosyne
@Brachiator:
The point is more that, given their tendencies, disaffected Trump voters are going to be far more likely to stay home than to vote for Hillary. That’s an important thing to know.
Brachiator
@Calouste: RE: It is hard to be OK for Scottish nationalism, and then say that the UK should stick to the EU.
But there are some claims that leaving the UK could be financially ruinous for Scotland.
But again, the point is that this still complicates the question. Scottish nationalism, good. English nationalism, bad. It would be interesting to see how inclusive Scottish nationalism might be.
JPL
@Major Major Major Major: What happened to probable Cause? I have to say that, if I hear that again, my neighbors will hear me shrill. At that point why not just arrest the bastar.ds
boatboy_srq
@Major Major Major Major: UKIPtui. It’s just asking for it.
debbie
@satby:
Glad you’re okay. That is one scary picture.
Brachiator
@Mnemosyne:
Is that really the case? Is that a good thng? Do these Trump voters have cooties that render them to be untouchables, undesirable for any reason as far as Democrats are concerned? Are they totally irredeemable?
The problem is, their economic problems don’t go away just because they are “bad” people. Their frustration doesn’t go away. This makes them potentially more unpredictable and dangerous.
the Conster, la Citoyenne
@Brachiator:
Trump voters believe ridiculous untrue things because they want to, and refuse to believe anything that contradicts the lies they want to believe, because they’re racist xenophobes who just simply know all of their lost status will be restored by a strong man with guts and bravado enough to bulldoze the politically correct barriers set up by those people, who need to be re-taught their place, then put there by force, if necessary. Are we supposed to cater to that?
gogol's wife
The gun measure failed, says my e-mail.
Renie
@satby: OMG hope you and your house are okay! How scary is that!
Frankensteinbeck
@Brachiator:
True, but misidentifying their motivation ensures that you will not win them over. If economics is not their driver, economic appeals are of little or no use. Meanwhile, giving them the benefit of the doubt perpetuates systemic racism, and is the foundation the Reagan Revolution was built on. Knowing the enemy and calling out racism as racism are both correct strategies.
Citizen_X
@Brachiator:
No, but when they demonstrate it, repeatedly, it shows you should look elsewhere for potential converts.
Reforming with Results
I wonder how similar this will be to Romney’s European trip in 2012.
Eric U.
@Citizen_X: no, we need to peel off the few remaining reasonable Republicans and convert some independent voters into reliable dem voters. There are still some people that are on team Republican even though their philosophy doesn’t really align with the republicans at all
PurpleGirl
@satby: OMG. Are you all right? Good thing Qunoot and Valentina have already gone home. Just when a few things were quieting down for you. I hope the there’s not too much damage.
rikyrah
@the Conster, la Citoyenne:
you know my answer….hell no
sidhra
@Major Major Major Major: Pressure cookers? And this guy votes on what to do with thermonuclear weapons? That’s nuts.
Mnemosyne
@Brachiator:
If you think the above-quoted research that is the subject of the post is incorrect, please post a link to your preferred research. Otherwise, we have to work with the data we have.
What, that research exists showing that Trump voters are driven by racism and xenophobia? Why are you blaming the research for showing reality?
If you can figure out how to get white voters to abandon their racial identification and instead vote their economic interests, you will be a very rich man, because no one has been able to crack that nut, including Obama and Sanders.
Mnemosyne
@Frankensteinbeck:
Also, this:
Thomas Frank and others are desperate to point to something — anything! — other than racial animus to explain why white voters consistently vote against their own economic interest, but all of their alternative explanations have failed to pan out. At some point, we have to accept what those voters are telling us at face value rather than continuing to insist that they must actually be feeling something else.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@rikyrah: One thing to keep in mind is that Trump only won because of the “winner take all” system that the GOP set up.
Donnie only won 44.54% of the popular vote in the GOP primaries
Yes, he’s a monster that perfectly represents the Teabagger Id. But lots and lots of Republicans don’t like him.
Hillary and Team D would be smart to keep that in mind, even as they do everything they can to try to have a huge turnout among Democrats.
Cheers,
Scott.
I'mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet
@satby: Oh no. :-( I hope the damage is much less than it looks like it might be.
Hang in there.
Cheers,
Scott.
Mnemosyne
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
One thing in our favor is that even racist whites don’t really like openly racist appeals. That’s why Lee Atwater had to come up with various ways to code his racist message to make it palatable for white Republican voters.
Elie
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet:
Exactly. Folks got caught in an emotional stampede generated on purpose by a cynical media. There isn’t anywhere near as much “there” as Trump would like.
Smedley the uncertain
@Poopyman: Insurance…yeah right! Had a very old maple drop two widow makers over the course of a year onto my truck. Truck insurance paid several $K to fix it each time. Then it dropped a huge widow maker on the side walk. I could only imagine what would have happened had someone been walking by… Called the Insurance dude and said I’m taking it down does my home owners cover any of the cost. Answer.. you guessed it. NOPE! Took it down any way for $1200. Thanks State Farm.
Donalbain
@catclub: The referendum campaign has a death toll. It was a stupid, venal, self serving, pointless gamble.
Ian
@Major Major Major Major:
I love how the republicans now claim the no fly list is unconstitutional. All tied in with keeping ammosexuals fully armed. Yet do they propose to do away with the no-fly list?
(crickets)
Ian
@Brachiator:
Disagree sire. We can win Georgia, Utah, and Arizona for the first time in a generation because Trump and his voters are assholes.
Paul in KY
@satby: Very sorry to see that, satby! Hope it didn’t mess up house too bad.
Paul in KY
@Jado: Please post this at Free Republic.